Water-gage



(No Model.)

- J.GO0K.

WATER GAGE.

No. 252,648. Patented Ja,11.24,l882.

Fig'.

n Usirrs 'Starts Parana artica@ JOHI\T COOK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

WATER-GAGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 252,648, dated. January 2 4, 1882.v

n Application filed May 4, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom tt may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN COOK, residing at Chicago, in the couiitb7 of' Cook and State of Illinois, and a citizen of the United States, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Steam-Gages, of which the followinglis a full description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a front elevation, showing an ordinary water-gage, with the retiector in position back of the gage-glass; Fig. 2, a front elevation ofthe reector detached; Fig. 3, a top or plan view of the relector.

This invention relates to that class of' waterga ges for steam engines and boilers consisting of a strong glass tube standing in a vertical position outside of the boiler, communicating at its upper end by means of a stop cock or other connection connected to the boiler with the steam chamber or space for the admission of steam into the glass, and communicating at its lower end by means of a stop-cock or other connection connected to the boiler with the water-spacc for the admission of' water 4into the glass, the glass being held in position and supported between the upper and lower stopcock or other connections by suitable stuffingboXes, or other means to insure a tight joint, and the height of water iii the glass tube coin` ciding with that of' the boiler and indicating the depth ofwater in the boiler, and the liuctuation or rising` and failing of the water in the glass tube indicating that the water communi cation between the tube and boiler is free and clear. A

In this class of waiter-gages as ordinarily constructed and used it is the general practice to place thc gage where it can he easily and readily seen, iii order t determine the condition of the water; butin some cases it is oftentimes exceedingly difficult to loocate the gage so as toobtaiii a clear light and a good view ofthe glass, and in some instances, even where the light is good and the gage in open view, it is impossible at all times to obtain a clear and distinct showing of the heightof water in the glass, anderen in the bestot'circuinstances, the glass being' small, it is exceedingly difficult, if notwhollyiinpossible, at soniedistance, away, to determine the point or line at which the water stands in thev glass or see whether it is fluct uating up and down.

circumstances above named, or which are liable to occur; and its nature consists in providing a refiecforonsisting of two reflecting faces or surfaces standing at an angle to cach other,

and adapted to be placed back ofthe glass, and

bring the glass in front of and between the reecting surfacesor faces to increase the sight without increasing the size or diameter of the glass, and produce a perfect, clear, and distinct showingof the condition and height of the water. v

In -the drawings, A A represent the reliecting faces or surfaces composing the reflector. These surfaces or faces maybe made of strips of looking-glass or lother material which will act to reflect the light. These strips are set at an angle t0 each other, with their inner edges meeting and in contact and their outer edges standing apart, to produce a reflector from which the light will be projected forward and in diagonal lines, so as to present an illuminated space equal in size to the distance apart 'ofthe outer edges ofthe refiectiug faces or surfaces.

B represents the glass tube of the watergage; C, the stop-cock or connection for the admission ol' water; I), the stop-cock or connection for the admission of steam; E F, the stuffing-boxes or collars, located respectively on the stop-cocksor connections C D, between which the glass tube is located and held in po sitioii; G, the tie-rods for securing tlie stopcocks or connections C Dtogether; H I, the plates or disks on the stop-cocks or connections C D, having suitable opening for the passage ofthe tie-rods.

rIlie several parts represented by the letters I, C, D, E, F, Cr, H, and I-iiiay be of any of the usual and well-known forms of construction for such parts, arranged and operating iii the usual manner, the stop-cock or connectionA C being attached to communicate with the water in the boiler, and the stop-cock or connection I) heilig' attached to coiiiinniiicate with the steaiii in the usual manner.

The reflecting faces or surfaces A A', when made of looking-glass or other fragile material, are to bc mounted in a suitable frame or sup- IOO ported on a suitable backing-plate to prevent them from heilig broken easily. then made of a material which is not fragile or easily broken they need not be thus supported.

This reflector is located back of the glass tube, and corrcspondsin length to, or nearly to, the length of the tube, and may be secured in position by being fastened to the tierods by clips or straps, which can be turned around 1o such rods, or in some other suitable manner;

and it mayy be secured in place by being fastened to some other portion of the gage than the tie-rods; or it may be provided with collars or rings at each end4 to fit over the ends of the stuffing-boxes E F, in which latter case it could be turned to present the reiiecting surfaces 0r faces in any desired position; or it may be secured in any other suitable manner that will locate it back ofthe glass tube, so that it can be revolved, if desired, or remain fixed.

This retiectoris to be arranged in such rela- 'tion to the glass tube that the tube will be inv front of and between the reflecting surfaces or faces, so that the light from such surfaces or faces will be projected through the tube, and the reflection of the tube will be produced on both retiectingfsurfaces, and cause the tube to appear of an equal width with the illuminated space covered by the reiiecting surfaces or faces. By thisarrangenient the size ofthe tube is apparently increased to the width of the reiiecting surfaces or faces, increasing the sight to that extentand presenting an increased arca for observation 5 and by the use of this reflector a more perfect, better, and reliable light is obtained. The light is projected through the tube and -its contained water from the back, renderingthe tube more transparent and clear.4 The line or point at which the water stands and its condition will be shown more perfect and distinct, and this line will be projected and appear also on the reflecting' surfaces or faces at precisely the saine height, so that it can be seen at a considerable distance away with great distinctness and perfect ease, producing a reliable, accurate, and perfect iustrunient, by which the condition of the '.vater can be perceived at a glance. n

I do not broadly clailn aretlector arranged in relation to thc glass tube of a steam-gage; but

That I cla-iin as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

In combination with the glass water-tubeot' an ordinary steam-gage, the wilhindescribcd reflector, consisting of two upright refectingsurfaces arranged at or about light angles to each other, with their inner vertical edges abutting and their outer edges standing apart, to retlt-et thc light in diagonal lilies and increase the sight without increasing thel diameter of the gage -glass, substantially as described.

.l O HN COOK.

Witnesses:

B. A. Palou, ALBERT H. ADAMS. 

